SALEM – In darkness, people buckle up less routinely – and the consequences can be deadly. According to 2013 crash statistics in Oregon, of the 104 vehicle occupants that died in crashes at night, more than half were unrestrained. That’s one reason law enforcement agencies from around Oregon will join in the national Click It or Ticket campaign from May 18 – 31: they’ll be watching to make sure everyone is buckled up, day or night; that child passengers are in the right restraint system; and that no one is riding illegally in the open bed of a pickup.

“Proper use of a safety belt or a child restraint system holds a person safely in place and inside the car and can prevent injury from occurring during sudden stops, swerves or a crash,” said Carla Levinski, ODOT’s Occupant Protection Program manager. “Without a safety belt or child car seat, occupants can be thrown against each other or completely out of the vehicle – and that greatly increases chances of serious injury."

In fact, studies show child car seats reduce the likelihood of an infant under 1 year old being killed in a crash by 71 percent and the fatal risk for toddlers aged 1 to 4 by 54 percent. Overall, safety belts reduce the chance of fatal injury by 45 to 65 percent.

New van will train child safety seat technicians

That's one reason why ODOT has partnered with Legacy Emanual's Randall Children's Hospital to train more people in how to properly buckle up child passengers. A refurbished van, paid for with federal funds administered by ODOT's Transportation Safety Division, is equipped with car seats and other materials to certify technicians and educate caregivers. See the Click It fact sheet (PDF) for more information.

Buckle everyone, every tripMost Oregonians do buckle up, most of the time. Statewide observation surveys in June 2014 found 98 percent of Oregon travelers routinely using safety belts or child car seats. Still, a recent report (PDF) by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration estimates that Oregon could have saved the lives of at least six people in 2013 if we had a 100 percent buckle up rate. See the county-by-county breakdown from 2013 (PDF).

Oregon law requires the following:

Child passengers weighing less than forty pounds must be restrained in a child seat.

Children under one year or weighing less than twenty pounds must be restrained in a rear-facing child seat.

A child over forty pounds must be restrained in either a child seat or a booster seat appropriate for her size until she reaches age eight or 4/9” tall AND the adult belt system fits her properly.

ODOT, the Oregon State Police, the Oregon Association Chiefs of Police and the Oregon State Sheriffs Association encourage travelers to make sure everyone is buckled up properly, every trip. Note: It is illegal to ride in the back of an open pickup truck in all but a few situations. To learn more about occupant protection in Oregon, visit ODOT’s Transportation Safety Division.